High-voltage generators of the generic type and also high-frequency generators which have at least one magnetron which are connected to generic high-voltage generators, are known extensively in the prior art in principle, so that there is no need for separate published proof hereof. Generic high-voltage generators are used to generate high-voltage pulses in order thus to be able to operate further electrical facilities, such as a magnetron, for instance. High-voltage generators can be used for instance to operate a magnetron in its intended way, in order to provide a high-frequency generator, with which electromagnetic waves, for instance in the centimeter range or suchlike, can be generated, so that a wide variety of applications can be realized, for instance in the area of safety, during a non-destructive testing of materials and/or suchlike. For this purpose generic high-voltage generators frequently use a Marx topology, in which a predetermined number of capacitors is used as an energy storage unit, wherein the capacitors are charged connected in parallel in a first operating mode and connected in series in a second operating mode provide the electrical energy for the high-voltage pulse. The provided energy is fed to the pulse transformer on a primary winding. The pulse transformer performs a voltage conversion, so that the high-voltage pulse is provided accordingly on a secondary winding of the pulse transformer.
It is currently desirable in many applications to be able to consecutively provide a plurality of high-voltage pulses in as brief a succession as possible. In the meantime it is desirable in the area of safety and also during the non-destructive testing of materials to be able to provide pulse rates of the high-voltage pulses of up to 1 kHz or even more, for instance.
With high-voltage generators of the generic type, it has proven to be problematic however that on account of the pulse transformer after generating a respective individual high-voltage pulse, the energy stored in the pulse transformer and circuit possibly connected to its secondary winding has to be absorbed by way of a freewheel path via the energy storage cells. This has proven to be disadvantageous in that a time constant for the energy absorption is in a period of time which can extend beyond one or more milliseconds. In this way the pulse rate, which can be provided by the high-voltage generator, is very limited so that in particular desired pulse rates of up to one kHz or even more cannot be achieved with known high-voltage generators.
If the respective energy was namely not absorbed completely before generating a subsequent high-voltage pulse, this can result in the stored energy increasing with each pulse. This may lead to unwanted and hazardous states.